The Droid 3 is the latest in the Motorola Droid lineup. Like the other Droid phones, the Droid 3 is distinctive. It’s a “blockier” design than most other smartphones out there. The Droid line takes the utilitarian view, and thinks that a defined-line, harder-edge approach will appeal more to some than the current standard of smartphones with rounded edges and more aerodynamic contours.
This is a matter of personal preference. If your takes run more to an elegant, simplistic style, you’ll be better served by iPhones, the Droid Epic, or any smartphone with today’s generic softer-angled designs. The Droids 1 through 3 have their own unique style, however, and it’s a cool-looking phone as well as a cool tool.
The Droid 3 is not a revolution. I don’t think it was intended to push any design or performance limits. It’s a refinement of existing features, an improvement on what already works. Compared to earlier models, the Droid 3 has a faster CPU, more memory, a better screen and resolution, a better battery, a better camera and HDMI output. There is also the Droid standard of the slide-out physical keyboard. The Droid 3 is slightly wider and taller than the Droid 2, but also a little flatter.
That’s just the hardware. Software improvements include native support for more messaging standards, and being able to work with photos directly to crop, rotate, geo tag, brighten, change color, flip, resize and perform other effects. (In comparison, the Droid 2 can only crop, rotate and geo tag.)
Droid 3 stats and functionality
CPU: 1 GHz dual-core
Memory: 16GB internal. Expandable for another 32GB (microSD) for a total of 48GB.
Screen size: 4″ multi-touch, 960 x 540 Gorilla Glass
Size (H x W x D): 64.1 x 123.3 x 12.9 mm
Network: 3G, WCDMA 850/1900/2100, CDMA 800/1900, GSM 850/900/1800/1900, HSDPA 10.2 Mbps (Category 9/10), CDMA EV-DO Release A, EDGE Class 12, GPRS Class 12, HSUPA 5.76 Mbps
OS: Android 2.3 “Gingerbread”
Camera: 8 MP rear-facing with 8x digital zoom, HD video recording at 1920X1080
Size: 119 x 62 x 16 mm
Battery: 1540 mAh (up to 550 minutes talk time, up to 300 hours standby time)
Other cool things: HDMI output, accellerometer, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, eCompass, WiFi
Conclusion
Motorola’s Droid 3 continues the Droid tradition by providing a well-designed, solid phone with impressive performance. It’s not a game-changer, but a solid, positive evolution of the Droid line by giving us more power, features and refinement. If you already like the Droid line, this is an excellent choice. Whether or not you’re familiar with the Droid lineup, if you’re shopping for a smartphone, the Droid 3 would be a great choice.
The Droid 3 is available from Verizon Wireless for $200 with a service plan, or $530 without.